Sir Frank admits to Newey 'mistake'

[Dare]

hindsight is 20/20



Sir Frank Williams admits he made a "mistake" when he allowed Adrian Newey to leave the team following a disagreement over shares.

Newey joined Williams in 1990 and helped design five Championship-winning cars for the Grove-based squad. However, his relationship with the team turned sour during the late 90s when he had a dispute with team co-owner Williams over shares.

He left the team in 1997 and went on to win one title with McLaren in 1998 and two with Red Bull in 2010 and 2011.

In an interview with F1 Racing, Williams admits he shouldn't have allowed Newey to leave.

"He wanted some shares that I didn't want to give to him at the time," he revealed, "[That] was arguably, with hindsight, a mistake. Adrian is quite a remarkable individual."

Williams are coming off their worst-ever season in Formula One, having picked up just five points last season.

However, the team are determined to turn things around and have made quite a few changes.

"I'm not an engineer but I've seen lots of good cars and lots of bad cars - and ours wasn't quick enough," said Williams.

"It was deficient in most of the areas that matter, but we were completely lacking in the most important one of all, which is aero. And probably a bit of horsepower. It just wasn't a quick car.

"The Renault engine gives us hope. We have three new technical people - one is our technical director, one is chief of aero and one is running the cars. They have different backgrounds coming from three different teams."

Whether Williams return to the top remains to be seen, but their co-owner knows they face one major obstacle.

"There's still a problem, it's called Adrian Newey," Williams admitted. "There's only one of him."

[Scott]

No kidding Frank!   

[Jericoke]

Given recent efforts to ensure the future of Williams, I can't help but wonder if there were some behind the scenes efforts to bring Newey back into the fold as a potential future owner of WilliamsF1?

Would Newey be interested in owning his own F1 team?

[vintly]

Newey on Red Bull three weeks ago: "To be perfectly honest I can't see myself going anywhere else".

And why would you. When it's working so well, would you even contemplate a move. I doubt it. Wouldn't be at all surprised if he wins 3 more at least with Red Bull.

[cosworth151]

Gee, Sir Frank, ya think so? 

[Scott]

Can't see Newey ever wanting the headaches of running his own team.  He probably takes home more than Frank, and he's still working on a legacy that could well (if hasn't already) eclipse Frank's.

[Jericoke]

Can't see Newey ever wanting the headaches of running his own team.  He probably takes home more than Frank, and he's still working on a legacy that could well (if hasn't already) eclipse Frank's.

But he left Williams precisely because he didn't have ownership.

I wouldn't want the headaches of owning an F1 team either, but I've never asked for it.

[Monty]

From some of the best 'informed observers' Newey is a very complex man. Remember at one time he wanted McLaren to allow him to work on a racing yacht design.
I believe that his dispute with Williams was more about 'protection' and not ownership. He felt that if the team was sold (at that time it was one of the most desirable teams and several Motor Manufacturers were interested) he would have no personal protection.
Frank wasn't only short sighted about Newey. He lost a lot of really good drivers because he had a view that no one person was more important than the team. Possibly this was more a kind of jealousy that Newey and the drivers were getting too much attention??

[Jericoke]

From some of the best 'informed observers' Newey is a very complex man. Remember at one time he wanted McLaren to allow him to work on a racing yacht design.
I believe that his dispute with Williams was more about 'protection' and not ownership. He felt that if the team was sold (at that time it was one of the most desirable teams and several Motor Manufacturers were interested) he would have no personal protection.
Frank wasn't only short sighted about Newey. He lost a lot of really good drivers because he had a view that no one person was more important than the team. Possibly this was more a kind of jealousy that Newey and the drivers were getting too much attention??

It is a shame that Williams has gotten so much wrong the last decade after getting so much right in the years before that.  I suspect the sport changed around him, and he didn't keep up.

Hopefully he's learned from his mistakes and is ready to take his team back to the top.  I'd love for Frank to have the opportunity to leave the sport on top, rather than just fading away like most privateers do.

[lkjohnson1950]

From some of the best 'informed observers' Newey is a very complex man. Remember at one time he wanted McLaren to allow him to work on a racing yacht design.
I believe that his dispute with Williams was more about 'protection' and not ownership. He felt that if the team was sold (at that time it was one of the most desirable teams and several Motor Manufacturers were interested) he would have no personal protection.
Frank wasn't only short sighted about Newey. He lost a lot of really good drivers because he had a view that no one person was more important than the team. Possibly this was more a kind of jealousy that Newey and the drivers were getting too much attention??

Frank's focus and purpose is the car. The jealousy is that the drivers were taking attention away from the car. He doesn't care about the driver's championship, if one of his drivers wins it it's OK as long as the team wins the constructors. If they don't win the WCC the season is a failure no matter what else they accomplish.

[F1fanaticBD]

I am pretty sure Frank wants Newey. What he did with Jaguar racing, build an absolutely marvelous and one of the great car in the f1 history from a collapsed team. Isn't Williams are standing same kind of ground? In a sense isn't literally an offer of ownership of Williams team? And I will love to see that happening, because I hate to see Williams suffer the way they did last season. I want at least a competitive car from them, not a limping Maldorano with controversies.